Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Cardiff?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cardiff or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cardiff or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Cardiff or Panama City?
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, and a major port on the country's southern coast. Though Cardiff boomed with the coal industry during the Industrial Revolution, the city began its history as a Roman fort on the River Taff-perhaps taking its name from a combination of the Welsh word for fort (caer) and the name of the river (Taff). The fort still stands today along with many other landmarks that attract tourists each year.
Panama City
Panama City is the cosmopolitan capital city of the country of Panama. With a population of almost 900,000 and almost 1.5 million in the metropolitan area, it's a very diverse city with expat residents from all over the world. You don't have to search far to find someone who speaks English, and many Panamanians are quite helpful and friendly.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to United Kingdom, The Best Tours for Seniors to United Kingdom, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Cardiff Prices
UK PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCardiff £188Panama City £75
The average daily cost (per person) in Cardiff is £188, while the average daily cost in Panama City is £75. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Cardiff and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCardiff £93Panama City £26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCardiff £186Panama City £52
Compare Hotels in Cardiff and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Cardiff or Panama City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Cardiff Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cardiff £21Panama City £7.89
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cardiff
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cardiff:
- Cardiff; EV Airport Transfer Service: $135
- Private Transfer from Mold to Manchester Airport (MAN): $125
- Private Transfer from Holyhead Port to Manchester Airport (MAN): $102
- Newport Accommodation to Cardiff Airport (CWL) - Departure Private Transfer: $60
- Barry Accommodation to Cardiff Airport (CWL) - Departure Private Transfer: $33
- Gatwick Airport : Bus transferring to/from Cardiff: $13
- Heathrow Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Cardiff: $13
- Bristol Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Cardiff: $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to City by Luxury SUV: $84
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Panama City by SUV: $75
- Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
- Luxury SUV Private Transfer Panama City to Panama PTY Airport: $84
- PTY Airport Transfer Service To Panama City: $25
- Panamá Tocumen Airport Hotel or airbnb Transfer: $25
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $33
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Cardiff or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Cardiff change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayCardiff £76Panama City £27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cardiff
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cardiff.
- City Flavors Guided Food Tour with 8 Tastings: $120
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
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Sandwich£6.10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Panama City
For Panama City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Street Food Tour in Panama City with 24 samples and secret drinks: $69
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
- Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cardiff £25Panama City £49
Tours and Activities in Cardiff
Here are a few actual costs in Cardiff for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 30 Minute Archery Experience in Llangollen: $19
- 30 Minute Axe Throwing Experience in Llangollen: $19
- Best of Private Walking Tour with Local: $108
- Canoe Aqueduct tours Llangollen: $76
- Canyoning with Beezra Experiences in South Wales: $89
- Cardiff Bay Private Self-Guided Tour: $11
- Cardiff Bay: Highlights Private Guided Tour: $216
- Cardiff Coastal Private Tour: From Mumbles to Bayside: $2,321
- Cardiff Private Guided Walking Tour: $323
- Alcotraz Immersive Prison Cocktail Experience: $66
- City Highlights Guided Walking Tour: $24
- City Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour: $16
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- The Hull Experience Colonial Tour: $14
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Experience of Salsa in Panama: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $29
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Causeway and Old Town Night Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCardiff £13Panama City £13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cardiff
Also in Cardiff, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Guided Bar Crawl with Shots and Nightclub Entry: $24
- Gin Tour at Hensol Castle Distillery: $32
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cardiff and Panama City, we can see that Cardiff is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cardiff is in Europe and Panama City is in Central America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Panama City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Panama City and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Cardiff would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cardiff than you might in Panama City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cardiff Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cardiff or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 35% larger than the population of Cardiff. When comparing the sizes of Cardiff and Panama City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.